Quarterbacks are falling over all across the NFL, and Pittsburgh happens to be carrying four of them. That combination is why Mason Rudolph has become one of the loudest names on the trade market with a month to go before the deadline.
Bleacher Report’s trade block board entering Week 5 slotted Rudolph eighth among every available player in the league, projecting a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick as the price. Jason La Canfora has reported that the Steelers are very open to moving him.
The demand side needs no explaining. Tampa Bay ruled Baker Mayfield out for Week 5 with a thumb injury. Washington is without Jayden Daniels, who dislocated his elbow, and backup Marcus Mariota is working through an MCL sprain. Chicago has been without Caleb Williams. The Giants lost Jaxson Dart to a knee injury.
What Rudolph Actually Costs
Rudolph is in the final season of a two-year deal worth $7.5 million and has 20 career starts behind him. A conditional sixth-round pick for a quarterback with that much live experience is close to free, and the Buccaneers and Commanders are the two most obvious phone calls.
Nobody is pretending he is a long-term answer. He is an insurance policy who can run a real offense for three weeks without a season falling apart, and in October that is worth more than the draft capital it would take to get him. Teams that wait until November to go shopping for that usually end up paying a third-rounder for someone worse.
Why Pittsburgh Might Say No
Because Aaron Rodgers is 42 years old.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano, who listed Rudolph among his deadline candidates, put the Steelers’ problem plainly: “If something happens to [Aaron] Rodgers and he can’t play, I believe Rudolph would take over.” Behind Rudolph sit second-year passer Will Howard and Drew Allar, a third-round rookie. Neither one is ready to be handed a playoff race.
Graziano’s read is that the calculus shifts if Rodgers is still upright in early November, at which point an offer could get good enough to talk Pittsburgh into it. Mike McCarthy’s team is 2-2 and firmly in the AFC North mix, which makes the Steelers buyers in almost every other respect.
November 10 Is the Date
The deadline is Tuesday, November 10 at 4 p.m. ET, and the rest of the block is filling in from the bottom of the standings. Houston, at 0-4, has Jadeveon Clowney on an expiring contract. Tennessee, also 0-4, is widely expected to sell. The edge market is crowded and the receiver market is noisy, which is exactly why a cheap quarterback stands out.
Rudolph is the cleanest deal available. Small price, obvious need, no cap gymnastics required. If Rodgers takes a bad hit in the next three weeks, the Steelers will be thrilled they kept him. If Rodgers stays healthy, Pittsburgh should take the pick and let somebody else’s season get saved.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.